Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship when her parents try to marry her off to another pirate clan. But that only prompts the scorned clan to send an assassin after her. When Ananna faces him down one night, armed with magic she doesn’t really know how to use, she accidentally activates a curse binding them together.

To break the spell, Ananna and the assassin must complete three impossible tasks–all while grappling with evil wizards, floating islands, haughty manticores, runaway nobility, strange magic…and the growing romantic tension between them.

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A fun, easy read filled with magic, adventure, pirates, assassins and a whole lot of sass, The Assassin’s Curse is a fantastic story and exactly what I was looking for. I went in with pretty high expectations, which (thankfully) were met.

The characters in this story are absolutely brilliant.

Ananna (whose name I have no idea how to say, because I’m pretty sure that it is not supposed to rhyme with “banana”), our protagonist, is strong, capable, relatable and does not take any nonsense from anyone.

The Assassin (whose name I won’t reveal due to minor spoilers) is really cool. He is flawed and not, in fact, all-powerful –there are several times in which he is the one who has to be saved. He’s stubborn and kind of thick-headed, but we learn to love him nonetheless. His sweet side (yes, he has one!) is revealed in his own gruff manner and some of the things he says are guaranteed to make you go “aww” (while others will make you want to bash your head into a wall, but I digress).

Although a minor character, Marjani is super awesome. A pirate queen, she is intelligent, confident and commandeers respect.

The magic of this world is really interesting as it is based on the elements, with the addition of blood magic. Only “touched” people can use magic, but to varying degrees and often specializing in a specific element. However, there are also wizards, instances of mixed elements and curses, which add a further later into the system. Although magic is rather prominent in The Assassin’s Curse, the mechanics of it are rather vague so I am hopeful that we are able to learn a whole lot more in The Pirate’s Wish (the second and final installment).

My one criticism of The Assassin’s Curse would have to be that the synopsis is somewhat misleading; The three impossible tasks are revealed at the tail end of the novel, and none of them completed by the conclusion (which is perfectly understandable, but should not be included in the synopsis).

Unfortunately, the publishing company behind this duology has shut down, so physical copies are practically impossible to find. However, the ebooks are still available, which is something at least.

I highly recommend The Assassin’s Curse as it is a light hearted, brilliant read that will appeal to fans of Tamora Pierce (that woman is queen), fantasy, magic, pirates and strong female characters.